India emerges as hotspot of pangolin trafficking to China, Southeast Asia

Close to 6,000 pangolins have been trafficked to China and Southeast Asia between 2009 and 2017, says a report of TRAFFIC India.

The highly endangered species is found across India and trafficked for its scales and meat to destinations in China and Southeast Asia, where its meat and scales that are used in traditional medicines.

Between 2009 and 2017, India reported 90 seizures of pangolin parts in which 83 were of pangolin scales, equivalent to 5,765 pangolins, and the rest of meat (of two animals), a taxidermy specimen, a dead pangolin and three live ones. Annually, it translates to almost 650 pangolins trafficked every year since 2009.

“However, this is a conservative estimate and as only a fraction of illegal wildlife trade is detected, the actual number is likely to be far higher,” says the TRAFFIC (The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network) report.

Though it has a scaly reptilian exterior, the pangolin is actually a mammal. Two pangolin species are found in India, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) that is found across the country, and the Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla that is found in the north east.

Pangolin is a schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, like the tiger, and international trade in their parts is banned under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty. They were reclassified from Appendix II to I in the CITES in 2016, that means the level of protection has increased.

The recent spike in seizures of pangolin parts suggest that Pangolins found in India are being targeted and the source of the animal parts are changing too.

Between 2009 to 2013, most of the 46 seizures were in eastern or north-eastern parts of India, including Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and West Bengal. But most of the 44 seizures over the past three years were reported in south and central India. This could indicate a regional shift in the poaching and smuggling of pangolins in India, the TRAFFIC report said.

Manipur shows a surprising trend. Despite reporting the largest number of seizures in Manipur, no cases have been reported in the last two years (2015-17).

“The border between Myanmar and India at Moreh in Manipur is porous. If enforcement agencies are more vigilant the traffickers may have realised it is not a safe route accounting for the drop in cases,” said Saket Badola, head of TRAFFIC India.

R.S. Sharath, an inspector with the WCCB, said that they had identified the trafficking routes from Karnataka and central India. The items pass through Siliguri in West Bengal via land and on to Myanmar, from where it travels to China or south east Asia. It is unclear how they pass through the India-Myanmar border.

Badola added there are indications that a domestic market for pangolin parts also exists.

Though the humble animal doesn’t garner as much attention as major species like the tiger or the elephant, it plays an important role the ecosystem.

“Pangolins, often called scaly anteaters, are considered farmer’s friends as they help to keep a check on populations of ants and termites and help improve soil quality,” Ravi Singh, head of WWF India, said.